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Rachel Weisz: Bond Villain?!?

By Jessica Barnes (Subscribe to Jessica Barnes's posts), Posted Mar 29th 2010 7:15PM
Filed under: Action, Thrillers, Casting, MGM, RumorMonger, James Bond, Daniel Craig, Cinematical
When it was announced that Sam Mendes would be at the helm for the next Bond film, I think we knew we'd get something a little different -- and the latest casting rumor proves just how different this Bond could potentially be since, if sources are correct, we might be getting a female villain, and it's not who you would expect. A reliable source for Cinema Blend has told them that Rachel Weisz is being put forth as a possibility to play the head of the ultra secretive Quantum organization (and head baddie) in the 23rd installment of the spy franchise. Even though the production is on hold thanks to the pending sale of MGM, CB's source says that producers haven't been wasting any time and that casting is first on their to-do list.

According to their tipster, producers are considering Weisz to play "..the head of Quantum, the secret organization responsible for all the bad guy activity in the last two films. More than just another Bond babe, she'd be the mastermind pulling the strings behind everything that's happened in Daniel Craig's Bond movies so far, and the architect of James Bond's suffering." Granted, Weisz is probably not on the top of the list of cinematic bad girls, but Quantum is a whole new kind of baddie in the Bond franchise (although there is a little nod to SMERSH), so it makes sense to try something (and someone) different.

Of course, this is all still speculation, but it never hurts to play fantasy casting, and even if nothing comes of it, it's an intriguing idea. Weisz is already working with Craig on Jim Sheridan's thriller Dream House before she heads off to star in Madeline Stowe's directorial debut, Unbound Captives. But, if the timing's right, we might get to see Weisz in bad-girl mode when Bond finally makes it into production.

After the jump: is this the end of the 'Bond Girl'?.... Read
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Scenes (Songs) We Love: "Love Thing" from 'Almost Famous'

By Jessica Barnes (Subscribe to Jessica Barnes's posts), Posted Mar 28th 2010 4:03PM
Filed under: Music & Musicals, Fandom, Dreamworks, Scenes We Love, Cinematical
I have a wish-list of obscure songs from the movies about a mile long. But, I can be pretty determined so I usually track them down sooner or later (although sometimes that's easier said than done). Luckily for me, it was only a matter of waiting for a deluxe edition of Cameron Crowe's rock romance, Almost Famous to finally own Love Thing from the fictional band, Stillwater. Crowe's 2000 film was based on his own experiences as a young rock journalist traveling with bands like The Allman Brothers, Led Zeppelin, The Eagles, and Lynyrd Skynyrd (with Stillwater acting as a composite stand-in), and is easily one of the best films ever made about rock and roll.

Famous' soundtrack is packed to the brim with classics from the golden age of rock, and Crowe successfully blends Stillwater's music in with some of the finest artists in history. The few songs that we get to hear Stillwater perform have an important job to do in the film because they have to convince us that we are looking at an honest to goodness band. The level of historical detail and inside jokes about music history would mean nothing if you didn't believe in these four guys.

Even though the credits list Russel Hammond (Billy Crudup) as the writer of Love Thing and the three other songs featured in the film, in reality, they were written by Peter Frampton, Crowe and his wife Nancy Wilson with vocals (ably lip-synced by Jason Lee) provided by Marti Frederiksen (a musician, producer, and songwriter who has worked with Aerosmith, Mötley Crüe, and Ozzy Osbourne); and with credentials like that, it's no wonder the songs reeked of 70's authenticity. But even if you aren't a sucker for bluesy arena rock, when you you hear Love Thing's opening chords you can't help but think back to when we still believed it was all about the music.
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Scenes (Songs) We Love: "Fett's Vette" from 'Zack and Miri Make a Porno'

By Jessica Barnes (Subscribe to Jessica Barnes's posts), Posted Mar 25th 2010 10:33AM
Filed under: Comedy, Fandom, The Weinstein Co., Comic/Superhero/Geek, Trailers and Clips, Trailers and Clips, Scenes We Love, Cinematical


Probably like many of you out there, I follow the director Kevin Smith on Twitter, and if you've been paying attention lately, he's been causing a bit of a stir. But, I'm not going to get into Smith's latest controversial pronouncement, and instead, I'm going to go back to a kinder, gentler tweet when the talkative filmmaker wasn't bashing critics and bloggers ... he was just talking about making movies. A few weeks ago, Smith had provided a few details about the origins of using The Pixies' Hey in his 2008 comedy, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, and even though that scene probably deserves its own Scenes (Songs) We Love, I went with another musical moment from that film, which at the time, had me cranking up the volume on my remote. Now my musical tastes run the gamut and any song can catch my fancy, but thanks to Smith and a man by the name of MC Chris, once I heard Fett's Vette in the romantic comedy I was in dork-heaven; witty hip hop and Star Wars references? Does it get any better?

Zack and Miri starred Elizabeth Banks and Seth Rogen as two lifelong friends who get into the adult filmmaking business when times get tough, and even though it wasn't the box-office smash that the Weinsteins (and Smith) were expecting, dollars are not always equal to quality. For me, the best part about Smith's romantic comedy was that it wasn't just an exercise in d**k jokes (don't get me wrong, there are plenty of them in there), but in the end, the film had some relatively sweet things to say about sex versus love, friendship, and most importantly: Star Wars.

After the jump; "my backpack's got jets" and a lesson in nerdcore...
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Terrific Trailers: 'Terminator Salvation'

By Jessica Barnes (Subscribe to Jessica Barnes's posts), Posted Mar 24th 2010 7:15PM
Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Warner Brothers, Fandom, Remakes and Sequels, Trailers and Clips, Trailers and Clips, Cinematical


Before anyone gets too worked up about me putting the words 'Terrific' and Terminator Salvation in the same sentence, keep in mind this feature is called Terrific Trailers, and I'm not about to open up that can of worms again about Salvation's (many) faults. Although I would like to get this out there right at the outset: after seeing the movie again, it wasn't as bad as I remembered. Yes, I think we know where it fell apart, but before we get too attached to what went wrong with Terminator, let's focus on what went right. Now normally, for a flick like this, it's all about the teaser...a quick money shot, a title card, and the audience is hooked. But for me, I wasn't truly sold on plunking down my hard-earned dollars until I saw the trailer that had the good sense to pick one of my favorite Nine Inch Nails songs, The Day the World Went Away.

So it might be difficult, but try and watch this trailer with fresh eyes, because I happen to think it had everything we (and I) look for in a summer blockbuster: pretty boys/girls, quality F/X, and the good sense to keep at least a few of the surprises a secret (and hey, they even kept Bale's growling to a minimum). That's always the danger of watching a trailer, though, because sometimes when it's a little too good, the film is doomed to be a let-down -- and before you know it, you've been hoodwinked and you're looking forward to a movie that never existed.

After the jump: "the day the whole world went away..."
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Stars in Rewind: Ben Affleck's 'After School Special'

By Jessica Barnes (Subscribe to Jessica Barnes's posts), Posted Mar 23rd 2010 6:32PM
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, Fandom, Trailers and Clips, Stars in Rewind, Features, Trailers and Clips, Cinematical
While it's true that Ben Affleck is no stranger to mockery from the press, this time even I feel bad for the actor, because his past has come back to haunt him ... again. Now let's all go back to 1994, where a young actor by the name of Ben Affleck had scored a few roles (uncredited and otherwise) in teen flicks like School Ties and Buffy The Vampire Slayer. But it wasn't until he took on the role of the school bully O'Bannion in Richard Linklater's love letter to the '70s, Dazed and Confused, that his career was poised to take off. Unfortunately, there were some lean times after Dazed, and other than a few episodes on the football drama Against the Grain on NBC, the offers weren't exactly rolling in (and a guy's got to eat, right?). Well, thanks to the wonders of the Internet, we now get to see just what Affleck was willing to do for a little cash and acting credit -- and it isn't pretty.

So strap yourself in for what is possibly the most embarrassing performance of his career (and I've seen Paycheck), and watch as Affleck conveys the horrors of steroid addiction in a video clip from the HBO special, Body to Die For: The Aaron Henry Story (and frankly, I'm not sure which is worse: Affleck's acting or the scary synth-soundtrack). The Cable TV movie was part of a series called Lifestories: Families in Crisis, and was basically HBO's answer to the After School Special. Each week the series would tackle a teen issue and it usually ended with the real person on which the story was based giving a little PSA. I guess the one upside is that Affleck wasn't the only young actor to fall prey to the series, as other famous faces who made an appearance include Calista Flockhart, Sam Rockwell and Claire Danes -- and for their sake, I hope nobody kept a copy.

After the jump: Affleck emoting all over the place.... Read
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Clash of The Titans and The Power of Nostalgia

By Jessica Barnes (Subscribe to Jessica Barnes's posts), Posted Mar 23rd 2010 5:15PM
Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Warner Brothers, Fandom, Remakes and Sequels, Cinematical


We may now have a scientific explanation of the roots of 'nostalgia', but knowing its origins hasn't made me any more resistant to those rose colored glasses I put on from time to time. The latest example of my blind spot is that I'm on pins and needles waiting for the Clash of The Titans remake to finally hit theaters. So what has me so excited, exactly -- other than Mr. Worthington in a leather skirt? Well, it's not because I'm convinced that Worthington is a great actor (I happen to think he's pretty good, but that's a discussion for another time), and no, it's not because of a love for 3D...and it's certainly not because of Louis Leterrier. Nope, my enthusiasm for the myth of Perseus all boils down to the fact that, as a kid, I thought the 1981 Clash of the Titans was just about the coolest movie ever made, and somehow the prospect of a remake -- which would normally fill me with dread -- has me all sorts of giddy.

Even though I know that Leterrier's 3D action-fest will bear little resemblance to the film I know and love, it really won't matter because there is just something about Titans that always reminds me of what it was like to fall in love with the movies. I don't know how Warner Brothers did it, but that trailer released my inner 7-year-old (even with the so-so power metal in the background), and as soon as I heard Liam Neeson's booming voice 'releasing the Kracken', I knew I would be at the theater on opening day. But more importantly, I knew that at that moment any ability to apply critical thinking to this movie had gone right out the window -- and that is the power of nostalgia.

Do you ever let you inner-child make your box-office decisions? Have you ever looked forward to a remake or reboot even though you loved the original? Sound off in the comments below...

Their Best Role: Ewan McGregor in 'Trainspotting'

By Jessica Barnes (Subscribe to Jessica Barnes's posts), Posted Mar 22nd 2010 8:33PM
Filed under: Comedy, Drama, Fandom, Their Best Role, Cinematical


It may seem strange, but I never really thought Trainspotting was about drugs. Sure, its protagonists are bottom of the barrel junkies, but I never felt that the story of four wastrels muddling their way through petty crimes and grand schemes in 1980s Edinburgh was meant to provide a valuable lesson about addiction. Danny Boyle's film definitely doesn't spare you the squalor and devastation of drug use, but I think that Boyle's black comedy is about more than crime than drugs. I happen to think that Trainspotting is about the cost of evolution (both of the personal and non-personal variety) and that the message is wrapped up in one shining example:

Mark Renton, as played by today's Their Best Role nominee, Ewan McGregor. Renton was only the third major role for McGregor, and it marked his second collaboration with Boyle after the thriller Shallow Grave. Of course, the story of the fallout between the actor and the director is one that still breaks my film nerd heart. Mainly because McGregor and Boyle were made for each other, and we can only hope that time will heal all wounds, and that the two will one day work together again -- but let's get back to the our lovable little junkie.
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